Sudanese refugees in Niger suffer as protests met with crackdowns

Sudanese refugees in Niger are renewing calls for help as they endure dire conditions and escalating threats, according to testimonies shared with Dabanga, earlier this week. Khalil Obeid, a refugee, described his plight and detailed the harrowing experiences from Sudan’s conflict to their current struggles in Niger.  

Khalil recounted his ordeal, starting with a desperate flight from Sudan’s war to Libya in search of safety. Many then travelled to Tunisia, hoping for work, only to face arrests by Tunisian authorities on suspicions of planning irregular migration to Europe. Deported to Algeria, humanitarian organisations eventually transferred them to a shelter camp in Agadez, Niger.

Camp conditions  

“Life in the shelter camp is grim”, he said. Khalil described conditions as “miserable”, with refugees treated like prisoners and denied basic human rights. Protests against their hardships have been met with warnings and threats from a local organisation managing the camp, including the promise of severe crackdowns.

Refugees face persistent abuse from camp staff, while administrative neglect results in lost documents and delays in legal processes. Health conditions are deteriorating due to inadequate medical care and nutrition, with disease spreading unchecked. Peaceful protests have been violently suppressed, according to Khalil.  

Protest suppression

Ahmed Adam, a protest leader, reportedly narrowly escaped a targeted attack when unidentified assailants torched his home. He and his children survived, but photos obtained by Dabanga show the charred remains of the house.  

In a video message, Ahmed issued an urgent plea for protection: “We are being pursued for unknown reasons. This might be my last recording. I demand immediate intervention to save us.”  

Khalil echoed the call, urging humanitarian organisations to act: “Save our children, save our women, save us.” He warned that refugees are living under constant threat, with no resolution in sight. 

Repeated attempts by Dabanga to contact the organisation responsible for the camp have been unsuccessful. The absence of accountability exacerbates the refugees’ plight, leaving them trapped in a cycle of neglect and violence.